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THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Short post is short, but I posted :)

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

When Fenna entered the temple, Sil joined her and she extended her arm for the falcon to sit. There wasn't a lot of room for her to fly, but she seemed adamant on joining them. With the falcon on one arm and the spear in her other hand, she walked with the others through the temple. There were muffled distant voices, cultists talking to each other. Barracker led them further into the temple until they reached the Library, where Zell suggested to take them out. She caught his eyes and nodded.

With quiet steps, she approached the cultists closest to her, Sil silently spread her wings and lifted into the air as Fenna moved to swing her spear with the intention to hit the cultist in the head with the shaft.

RPGC: Trophy Case

Winner of RPGC #38: Invisibility

---

To Be Seen, by @artexercise

Jackson sat at an outside table of Tobius Internet Cafe. He passed his card over the bill terminal and paused a moment to see the green checkmark appear before he put his card away. "Well, Marilyn, I have had a wonderful time, as always. Do you want to go out again next Saturday? Museum?"

"I would like that," Marilyn said. "But, I think..." There was hesitation in her voice, and Jackson could hear it. He leaned in a little. She continued, "I think I might be willing to take this to the next step." She giggled a little and let out a breathe of air.

Jackson was flattered. It had been only three dates, which had all gone perfectly. They had so much in common, books, music, taste in food. "I am honored. I look forward to it."

"I mean here," she said in a low tone. "I could take the next step here."

Jackson looked around. There were a few other men at the cafe but like any other place, it was hard to tell if they were alone or with another. He tried to see if any had been listening or were trying to look as well. One made brief eye contact with Jackson and looked away. Jackson looked at the space across the table from him. Like all other woman in public, she was invisible. They revealed themselves only by choice. "Are you sure?" he whispered.

There was silence for a moment. "You're right. Perhaps it's not safe." But then a pair of eyes appeared, blinked, and then disappeared again.

Jackson stared into the space before him. In the distance beyond the outdoor railing, cars passed, some with drivers, some without. Some with fake drivers, which were obvious to the discerning eye. He was trying not to see the activity in the street beyond, however, he was trying to keep and remember those eyes.

"You're quiet," she said in a subdued way.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to hold on to what your eyes looked like. Beautiful," he said honestly in awe. Jackson had seen his mother and his two sisters growing up. His mother appeared all the time inside the home. His sisters, as they got older, appeared less and less frequently. He knew what they looked like, however, and they didn't have eyes like Marilyn's.

"Oh," she laughed. "Well, in that case, you'll look forward to seeing me again. I have a whole face to admire as well."

"I'm sure that I will," he smiled and pushed his seat back, standing and straightening his coat.

"Next Saturday, then," Marilyn said. The sound of her retreating footsteps indicated that she was already on the go.

"Next Saturday," Jackson said.

---

Throughout the week, Jackson worked like he always had. He arrived at the office building, found his desk, and proceeded to work through data and reports. The only woman in the office who chose to be visible was Susan, the office grandmother. Susan was in her nineties and actually had great great grandchildren. She could be seen talking to the men and to the women, although when talking to other women it always appeared as though she were talking with no one.

Men and women in the office hardly ever talked with one another unless it was necessary, at least not in the physical. Talking though the computer was another story. Rapidly staccato keyboards clickity clacked all across the office space. It was the norm. Messages from cute avatars and plain ones scrolled up the side of one computer monitor all work day as the conventional method of 'water cooler' socialization.

One topic scrolling quickly, the main topic, this week, was that of a news story: Film Actress Kim Porfaux was rumored to be dating someone. Office coworkers speculated about the actor that could be her real life love interest. Famous names leapt up the chat history one after another. Jackson, as usual, only glanced at the chatter, until someone mentioned that her real name was Marilyn Kim Porfaux.

He had been in the middle of creating a prompt for the AI to compile data from two reports when he saw the name. "Marilyn," he chuckled to himself. Then looked up the actress on the internet. He had not seen any of the films before, but none were really the genre that he watched. In the movies she always only wore "the bag". "The bag" was a piece of fashion clothing designed to show where a woman was without revealing much about her. Miss Porfaux was as mysterious as any other woman, but it stuck in Jackson's mind.

"What are you looking at, Jackson?" the ancient and jubilant voice of Susan startled him from behind.

"Susan! Oh, ah, the office chatter is about the actress. I'd never heard of her."

"Not a fan of historical romance? Me neither. I like history, but not romance. Had enough of that in my life. Documentaries are my thing. A little adventure show from time to time."

"Yeah, Sci-fi and Cop shows for me. I was just curious," he looked at the screen again.

Susan patted him on his head, "Whoever is dating her is a lucky guy." She then moved on down the rows of cubicles to chat with someone else.

"Lucky guy," Jackson said looking at the image of Marilyn Kim Porfaux in the bag, cinched at the waist, hat and sunglasses, waving to the camera.

---

He knew it was an insane idea. Friday night and even into Saturday morning, he looked up as much information on Marilyn Kim Porfaux that he could. He listened to interviews, but all interviews involving women had synthetic voice overlays. It was impossible to tell. He watched the historic romance, "Unseen Hearts along the Nile", and found that he liked the movie well enough. He even thought that the actress sounded like his Marilyn, which caused him to sweat a little. Who was he to be dating someone famous?

Saturday morning just before he was getting ready to leave his apartment, it occurred to him to try, "Kim Porfeux most recent sighting" in the search engine. The image that returned was unmistakable, the Tobius Internet Cafe. Jackson didn't know what to think. He was an IT guy, not some Hollywood hotshot. His watched beep twice, and he glanced at it. He needed to leave to make their date at the museum, but how could he focus now that he knew who she was.

On the drive to the museum he tried to remember their previous dates. Were there any clues? He remembered what when he said when he explained his job. "I look at reports and write more reports," he had joked.

Her response had been, "That sounds better than what I do. People tell me what to do all day. They don't really see me. I'd really just like to quit and be a landscape painter." 'They don't really see me' was a phrase many woman used because of the whole invisibility thing, but maybe she'd said it because everyone sees her in way, to be ironic.

He was in the museum parking lot before he knew it. He got out of his car and stood there holding his phone in a tight grip. Wouldn't most guys be thrilled to know they were dating a movie star? Jackson just felt overwhelmed. Then he saw the people far across the parking lot at the entrance: Paparazzi. He laughed a nervous laugh.

A fancy car pulled up. A woman's voice shouted, "It's Marilyn!" Camera's took pictures of the car and the driver as it arrived. The doors of the car opened and someone threw a bag of bright pink colored Gulal powder right at the open door. The partial outline of a woman's head and shoulder beside the driver could be seen. Camera's flashed and filmed the event in high definition. The pink peppered partial ghost looked around and appeared to be looking right at Jackson for a moment.

The driver yelled, "Back in the car!" and the pink dusted silhouette jumped back into the car and the doors all closed. The vehicle made a quick exit, and some paparazzi were quick to follow. Jackson walked up to the area where the car had been and watched as the car sped away with some pursuers close behind.

It all happened to quickly. Other bystanders not involved with the whole event looked around at each other. People exchanged shrugs and looks of concern and wonder. Jackson backed up a few steps and then finally retreated to his car. His blood was pumping, his mind was spinning, and he looked down at his phone. "Are you at the museum?" he texted.

A quick moment later a reply appeared, "Yes! That was crazy, right?"

Jackson breathed a sigh of relief. He laughed out loud. It couldn't have been her. He'd been psyching himself out for nothing. Maybe she was already waiting inside. He texted, "I'm at my car. Where are you?"

"I'm at your car, too," the text returned.

Jackson looked around as if he might see an invisible person. He laughed internally at himself and with a breath said, "You're here. Were you going to surprise me? Hard to do after seeing that."

"Yeah, my sister likes to plan elaborate things," Marilyn's voice came from the other side of Jackson's car.

"Your sister?" he said a little confused.

"Jackson," Marilyn said some shakiness in her voice, "I have a confession to make. It's about my job. Can I tell you in the car though?" The doors opened and Jackson sat in the car and the doors closed.

"Marilyn Kim Porfaux," Jackson said staring forward. In front of the museum some of the paparazzi still milled about hoping to see her come back through. Someone from the museum was yelling at the man who through the pink dust. A few visitors were looking confused as they tried to enter attempting to ignore the strange throng. Camera's occasionally took pictures of vacant air hoping that something would come of it.

"Yes... You knew?"

Jackson could hear her timidness. His mind softened towards her. For three weeks he'd simply gotten to know Marilyn, just a woman named Marilyn. Somehow he still couldn't reconcile the information he'd discovered online about the actress to what he'd learned on a few dates about the invisible woman beside him. "I think I just found out by accident this week."

"The rumors," she sighed. "I shouldn't have been so bold at the cafe. I should have been more observant."

"But," Jackson was riding the roller coaster of thought and emotions, "Our similar interests, and... and Historical Romance?" His incredulousness against the genre of her movies came off as an accusation.

"Have you seen my movies?" a slight embarrassment in her voice.

"Just one. Last night. I was trying to discern if it really was you? Unseen Hearts along the Nile."

"That one?" she groaned slightly, "Why not Hidden Promises and Hidden Guns?"

"Unseen Hearts along the Nile high a higher Rotten Tomatoes score," Jackson said as plainly as he could, and Marilyn laughed. Jackson could not help but chuckle along. "You said, 'People tell me what to do all day'. I'm guessing now directors."

"And an agent. also the studio. And maybe a few others. They won't let me do a Syfy movie original, or a Sitcom Comedy. It's off brand." She sighed, while the people in front of the museum continued to wait.

Jackson could hear the woman he'd been getting to know in her answers and her voice. He'd let some of the office gossip affect him, and he shouldn't have. She was still Marilyn from the dates. "There is another museum about an hour down the interstate. You want to go there instead?" He looked at the empty seat next to him, imagining those eyes, hoping she'd say yes.

Marilyn's eyes and lips appeared transparent then translucent in the air before him. She smiled, "That sounds like fun." Then suddenly that vision of her disappeared, and she was invisible again with a giggle, her giggle.

Jackson was captivated as a smile grew on his face. Those lips, those eyes, that smile. "Alright," he said turning on the car. It was a date. He laughed as he pulled out of the paparazzi plagued museum parking lot, "I see you."

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

I vote for the second chance option with the provision that James and/or Barracker threatens George with more torture if he's lying to them.

@Zapdos

James and Barracker should definitely tell George how unhappy they will be with him if it turns out to be a trap before we head inside.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

I vote for option two as well.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

When Barracker offered his arm, Sil perched there, looking between Fenna and Barracker. After receiving thanks from both him and Fenna, she flew up again and flew to the roof where earlier the archers had been.

Fenna smiled at Barrackers joke and nodded at his praise. "Thank you," she said. Fighting with a spear had felt natural, as if she had wielded a spear for years. She turned to look at the person she had killed with it, now that the heat of the battle was over she felt regret for killing him, but at the same time she knew it had been a situation of "kill or be killed", so unfortunately she had killed.

As the survivors were gathered and imprisoned - Adam had created an impressive natural holding cell - she did what was needed to help. She ignored the sounds of the interrogation as well as she could.

When MacKensie returned with Hardul she listened to the explanation, but kept her eyes on the dwarf. His posture and the expression in his eyes seemed to match what MacKensie said. "I haven't heard the name Feanor Moss before," she said when her fellow ranger asked them and continued to listen to what she had to say about the dwarf.

"While I wouldn't mind letting him go. it will be dangerous," she said. "For our mission, but also because I fear what this Feanor person might do to him. It will be dangerous inside the temple as well." Fenna put a hand on her hip as she examined Hardul and thought about the options. Letting him go back to the village was dangerous, taking him along could get him killed. "Maybe Adam can make something that will hold him, but also hide him from people that might want to kill him, and we'll take him with us to Feanor Moss when we are done in temple?" she suggested.

If others had better ideas she'd be open for them, this was the first thing that came to her mind.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

When it appeared they'd be attacked, Fenna had her spear ready, but soon they turned out to be adventurers like themselves. So many cultists that only two remained of a party? That made her pause and ponder, but maybe these two could accompany them? Zell moved in for his greeting and things happened quickly. Four archers appeared on top, eight more came out of hiding on ground level, James gave them a blessing and Barracker charged forward. Even though there were more swords and spears, the archers were a source of concern.

Two spear-wielders approached her, smirking at her shorter spear.

Sil caught on her feeling of worry Fenna looked at the archers and she swooped down, talons ready, onto one of the archers just as Mackensie and Zell came up. The archer backed away as he tried to shield himself, fell off the roof and landed on the ground. Sil couldn't determine if he was unconscious or dead, and lacked the conscience to care, and launched a talon attack at one of the spearmen.

With only one to worry about, Fenna grabbed her spear with a second hand as it grew in length until it was longer than her opponent's spear and she thrust it forward. The other backed away to dodge her attack and used his spear to deflect her charge. They moved back and forth, attacking and deflecting until Fenna crouched down and pierced her opponent's thigh. He let out a cry of pain and stumbled back a bit, covering his wound with a hand. Fenna used this moment to thrust her spear forward again, this time piercing skin and flesh in his abdomen.

With one opponent less to worry about, she quickly glanced over the area to see how everyone was doing and who would be her next target.

Paranormal Activities [SporkoBug and Calle]

"That's okay," Lily said to Steph. "You are beautiful the way you are and I'm blessed to have you here."
After that she turned to Gaia. "And you, my dear, gorgeous. You do need a bigger room, you can't stay here. Poor thing. You need to fly. Does the light bother you?"
Options for new accommodations already formed in her head. Somewhere spacious, dimly lit perhaps. More cavern-like. Or somewhere confined to see how long it would take her to get stir-crazy. No, that was too early. First everyone had to feel at ease before she could do the real tests.
"Oh, we do have a hangar I can clear out. I'll need to relocate some things, but I'm sure the boss will understand you simply cannot stay in that tiny room of yours."

A Trainers Ambition [SporkoBug and Calle]

Netherlu nodded with understanding and placed a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "I'm here now, why don't you take a moment for yourself. We can be human, but that doesn't mean we should stay human too long. It's not our natural form." He glanced at Niccia. "It may have consequences to stay in human form too long, Father wouldn't have made a new Mew if it wasn't needed." His eyes moved back to Frosiien. "Take a flight," he suggested. "I'll keep an eye on everyone."

"They seem to get along," Michael commented when he followed her gaze. "Merlin never stays close. He's always somewhere up high. From what uncle told me, he can be a bit condescending and it's entirely possible he doesn't think very highly of anyone. Or maybe just the ones without wings." Michael chuckled a bit. "I'm sure he is kind-hearted, and he cares about uncle and the rest of the team, but I don't think he's unsure about being around others, he's very sure about the distance he wants to keep. You and me are just not worth his time."
"Whose time?" Andy asked, catching the last bit.
"Merlin's time," Michael said.
Andy laughed. "Oh definitely. Merlin is a reliable partner, but he needs his alone time for thought and contemplation. Since I can understand him better now I had a talk with him, a good, long, intellectual talk. Turns out I was right about most things. I have not imagined the condescending looks he gave me, but he considers me smart enough for him to stay, but I'm also very tiresome and so are most other humans and Pokémon like Bear."
"I heard my name!" Bear said.
"I said you are very tiresome." Andy repeated.
"I'm not tiresome! that Featherball over there is, when he starts droooning on his theories." He huffed and put his fists in his side. "I am energetic."
Andy chuckled and turned to Niccia. "I wouldn't have caught Merlin if he wasn't the condescending and stuck-up Hoothoot that I met. I love it. But deep down inside he has a good heart and I know he's ready to swoop down from that tree to protect any of us."

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Fenna had been in the church and watched the emotional exchange between Lilliana and sister Gwen, she had heard everything Feanor Moss had told her. And still she was surprised Lilliana was adamant to return to the Mazy Hillocks immediately to help the spirit she had been in contact with. There was no stopping the mage, so Fenna hugged her. "Go to the Adventures Guild, ask for aid. Do not go into the Mazy Hillocks by yourself. It was the only advice she could give, because their current quest was also important and she didn't feel much for delaying it by joining her in the quest of the spirits. Surely there were other adventurers who could help her and if all went well they would see each other back in city.

After she left it was time to focus on the mission. The diamond shape made sense, Mackensie's stealth idea made sense and focussing on the wraith itself seemed like their best shot.
"I have nothing to add at this point," she said. "I agree with the points raised."

They continued up the hill and to the temple; it was an impressive structure and, as Barracker explained, it had several rooms. She sat down and took some bread from her bag to eat. She watched Adam collect some acorns and from what she had seen from his magic didn't doubt they would be useful at one point.

"Are we going to attempt the locked puzzle doors or go straight through the other rooms?" she asked the others. "I suppose going through the other rooms will mean we're at risk of running into cultists and whatnot, but having to wait at every door and figure out how to go through will delay us and cultist may catch up to us. Either way, I don't think we'll reach the wraith without running into at least a few cultists." She paused. "Personally I wouldn't mind trying the doors and if we fail to get through we can still decide to try and go around them."