Author: Silver Star, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:53 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

As they walked into the temple, Ernest couldn't help but stare at the three new buildings. She hoped they were for the contest, which she was rather looking forward to. It was quite exciting to be here at last. 

The two figures with the horses left to go speak to Drae, and Ernest waved a goodbye to them. She turned upon realizing that the red-haired girl was speaking to her. She smiled. "Goodbye, then," she said. "Perhaps our paths will cross again." She waved to the girl as she wandered into the temple. Maybe she'd see them in the contest, if she made it in. 

As the three figures walked into the temple, Ernest realized, strangely, that she was going to miss them. Even though they had spent only a little time together, it had been truly enjoyable. She sighed and slowly followed them into the temple. It had been an exciting journey, but she had always known that even good times come to an end. 

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:41 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

It had been an incredible journey, for all of them. As the bear-shawl woman and the stern woman left to go ahead, she and the other whom Mebari called 'Fox' remained. "I too will go in as well. The river of light has ended here, and I wish to see what kind of place this temple is. It certainly bears little resemblance to any temple I have seen before." Giving a bow to Ernest, Gale began to look around at the three new structures present. A workshop of sorts, a mysterious labyrinth, and a great stage with seating for an audience. The dream-walker meandered around the area surrounding the temple, caught up in wonder.

The past few days had been a valuable experience. Trying at times, and even tense–but in the end all had gone well. Four strangers heading for the same destination, from different walks of life. Gale stared up at the beacon where the aurora was coming from, and stared at the undulating colors for a long time. "I must remember to write down what I have seen during these past days. Should Master Rashaad and I meet again, I would like to recount this tale with him."

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:34 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Mebari gave a warm smile when Ernest had returned. Gale was also present as well, and awake. "There is no need to worry. The forest here is beautiful, is it not? Come, we will arrive at the end of our journey together soon." With all of them together again, they packed up and continued north. The trees became denser, and they had to dismount off the horses to lead them by the reins. Soon, the trees thinned and they arrived at the foot of the Baltil Mountains. A fantastical structure was tucked away in the side, looming overhead. However this time there was something different–namely three new structures around the Library Temple. The radiant lights of the aurora were coming from the beacon up above, confirming the fire-haired dreamer's words.

Mebari did not realize this was out of the ordinary. Turning to the other three she said: "We have finally arrived. Come, let us enter. I will be leaving with my escort to see the god of the temple and thus conclude my vision quest. Thank you for your company through this short-lived journey, Fox and Eagle." The medicine woman left the other two as she and Shiloh tied their horses to the trees and made their way into Tar Eisalae.  

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:20 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Ernest watched quietly as the two girls discussed their travelling route. They seemed to have a good grasp of where exactly they were, unlike her. She usually spent most of her time wandering, not caring where she ended up. For once, though, she had a destination, and it was good to know that they would arrive soon.

The medicine woman stayed behind at the camp, so Ernest didn't feel bad about going to explore the forest a little. She slid off into the trees, cutting leaves from some of the more interesting plants as she walked, and trying to catch glimpses of the birds that fluttered through the trees. Climbing into the trees a little ways, she found a few feathers that she didn't recognize, and tucked those in her bag as well. 

She didn't realize how much time had passed until she looked up to the sky and saw how far the sun had moved. She scrambled down the tree trunk with a few fruits she had grabbed and ran back to camp. "Sorry I'm late," she said. "I lost track of time out in the forest."

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:35 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

She could feel it, they were almost there. That night the lights in the sky which the others called an 'aurora' were brighter and more vibrant than before. In her dreams the flow was stronger, quicker too. They were close, but to what she did not know. The other three were heading for a temple, so perhaps that was the origin of the sky-lights. While they stopped to let the animals rest, she wandered about idly within their range of sight as she explored this new place. The trees, plants, everything that grew from the earth–were golden like the horse the medicine woman rode. The air was cooler, and shade was more available. She had seen a place where the trees were such bold singular color, in red. The regions of this world certainly held many wonders, even for the simplest things.

She had picked up and found more of the shining magical stones in the grass. Holding them up to the sun, they seemed to emit a light of their own. With nothing to do, she took a brief nap beneath one of the great golden trees, slipping into slumber. The dream here was vivid. It was awash in golden light, from the sky to the ground. Colors of reds and oranges formed trees, rocks, and streams. The animals were swirling with colors, like the 'spirit beast' without markings. A perpetual cool wind lightly blew wherever she walked. The leaves that fell blew by like colored scraps of parchment and collected in piles at her feet. When she took one, it was thin like a stiff piece of gossamer. She then saw people, or figures of them come out from little homes in the trees, down from hovels by the hills, or from elsewhere. With baskets and sickles they would harvest some of the golden grasses and bring them home. 

Following one of them, she saw them take the grasses and mix them with water in large vats. Liquids of many colors were poured from buckets into the vats where they boiled and frothed releasing a floral but rich aroma. When they were done, the glowing golden liquid was drained through taps into smaller barrels and the barrels were put onto wagons. Some of them were given to other human-like figures as gifts of goodwill, others were traded for things like shining stones, boxes of things, and others that she couldn't recognize.

It was about half an hour when she returned from the dream, and awoke. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and saw the stern woman returning with some plants and fruit in hand.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:22 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

They watched the beast as it watched them, and thankfully it proved to be non-hostile. The magic it cast with the flick of its tails unnerved Shiloh in spite of the being's pacifying aura, but all it did was cure the river of its impurity and the fish as well. She finally began to breathe easy once it was gone. And she knew it was, as the overwhelming magic had disappeared. They were all silent for a while, until Ernest spoke up. "That was…very strange. Shall we go, then?"

Mebari gave a nod, and began to mount Lizaveta. "Yes, we must be going. We still have a ways to go before our journey is complete." Shiloh helped the fire-haired girl up onto the chestnut mare, and Mebari did the same for Ernest. The rest of the journey was surprisingly uneventful, but for Shiloh it was a welcome relief. They spent the night around a bonfire they all had pitched in to build, and the aurora shimmered more intensely than ever in the sky above. They must be getting close to the source, as the fire-haired girl had said earlier. Soon, the next day dawned and the grasslands changed to a more wooded area as they traveled north. The golden-tinged plants and leaves and cooler air signaled they were nearing Jasumin Lake, and the larger predators of the savanna were nowhere to be seen. The forest was becoming dense to where they could no longer see the mountains in the distance, but Shiloh was sure they were going in the right direction.

Taking a short break to let the horses graze and drink, she and Mebari discussed their objectives while the fire-haired girl took a nap beneath the trees. "So how much further until we hit the outskirts of the temple?" Mebari took a stick and drew a makeshift diagram of the plains, lake, and mountains. "We have passed through the plains and are now here," she demonstrated by drawing a line from the plains up to the lake. "–That should leave us with less than half the distance remaining to reach the temple at the foot of the mountains."

"So we'll either get there by sundown or by tomorrow afternoon, give or take. Fine by me." With that over, she went to refill her canteen and survey the area. Their supplies weren't running low, but if possible she'd prefer foraging from the surroundings and reserve their supplies for emergencies. 

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:44 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

The beast that had been tracking them finally appeared, and Ernest stared for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly it was. One of the girls - Ernest couldn't tell who, as she was facing the creature - called it a spirit beast, and asked for its blessing. Ernest watched as it flicked its two tails, sending magic through the air. Then it vanished, and all of the enchantment disappeared. 

"That was… very strange," she said at last. She stared at the space where the creature had been for a few seconds more, then shook her head and got to her feet. As an afterthought, she pulled out the two flasks she had taken before. The water in the first still shimmered slightly, and Ernest gave a small grin. She had hoped the creature wouldn't notice her sample of the water. She took the second one, with the fish in it, and opened it, releasing the fish back into the stream.

She looked up at her companions. "Shall we go, then?" she asked.

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:10 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

A fantastical creature had emerged from hiding. Its pelt was like the night sky and the markings were bright like the stars. It was like a wild dog of sorts, but somewhat different. The medicine woman called it a 'spirit beast', and it began to walk about–observing the four of them. The magic from it was powerful, and it was like a cool yet gentle wind in the summer heat. The struggling fish in the river became calm, and the anxiety of the horses vanished too in its presence. What would a spirit beast have to do with them?

"Oh beautiful…should we ask why it has come?" Gale asked to the other three. She herself did not know how to speak in the tongue of beasts, but perhaps one of them could. She so very much wanted to approach it, but the stern-looking woman would likely keep her from doing so. Mebari began to clasp her hands and spoke aloud to the magical creature. "Oh wanderer of the spirit plane, I ask for your blessing and your vision. May your benevolence protect us against that which would harm us, and grant us your strength and swiftness." 

The beast watched as she requested its boon on their journey, its glowing eyes silently looking on. Its tails flicked, sending swirls of magical energy in indigo and gold into the air. The surrounding plants briefly shimmered with the magical distortion, as the wisps of light traveled to the river. It entered the waters, and the color changed to a golden glow. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. The enchantment in the air lifted, and the glow disappeared as well. The fish were back to normal, and the horses acted as if everything had been fine.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:48 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

The general consensus was to wait and see. Shiloh kept her ax at the ready, but lowered it. They watched as Ernest placed a bit of food as bait, and they waited to see how the creature would react. Shiloh didn't have her aura sight on, but she could feel something coming. It was getting closer, and she could feel her ears start to ring as the overwhelming magical signature was closing the distance. It was moving fast, but there was no sound of its footsteps. Gripping the handle of her weapon tightly, she tried to distract herself from feeling nauseous. Initially invisible, as it drew closer there was a shimmer and a blur. From the tall golden grass, the shape of something on all fours emerged. It was within sight now, and from where she stood she saw it as some kind of four-legged beast.

It had the body of a wolf, the head of a fox, the neck of a deer, and two long tails like wisps. Covered in fur that bore strong a strong indigo hue with glowing yellow markings highlighting its features, the magical beast set its eyes on the group. It was larger than a common red tail fox, but smaller than a wolf. Its steps slowed as it was now two meters away. Mebari froze at the sight of it, and Shiloh was unsure if it was out of fear or awe. "A spirit beast…" She whispered. The creature was not interested in the food Ernest had laid down, but began to size them up. The fish in the river however began to calm down and became still, like they were floating along in a trance. The horses themselves also calmed under the beast's influence.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:29 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Ernest considered for a moment. Something magical was definitely happening to the water, but they didn't have any proof that it was related to the creature. More importantly, it still hadn't tried to harm them, and she certainly wasn't sure that they could fight it. "I would still say we shouldn't fight it as a first idea. It hasn't harmed us yet, and I don't really want to see what would happen if we attacked it." A part of her wondered if it was as curious about them as they were about it. It seemed strange that it would stalk them for so long without attacking, if attacking was its intent.

"Let me try something," she said. She took a piece of jerky out of her bag and placed it a few feet in front of her. She then sat down on the grass to watch. "Perhaps if we offer it food, it won't think we're a threat. We might be able to understand more about it." Honestly, Ernest had to admit that she was very intrigued by this magical creature. She had never seen anything quite like it, and she was loath to kill it without trying to figure out more about it first.

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:31 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

"Is it truly the creature's doing?" Gale asked. She knew that the water was causing the fish to act abnormally, and if they were moved to new, untainted water they recovered immediately. However she couldn't see how or why it was related to the strange creature the stern woman had seen earlier. The bear-woman asked the other to see if the magical beast was near, and the response was positive. It was also closer than it had been back when the horses had panicked. The stern woman believed it to be a threat, and had her weapon at the ready. The dream-walker on the other hand still did not feel it had hostile intent. If it had, then why did it not attack them directly? So far only animals were being affected by it, and when it was gone they should return to normal.

"Must we fight it?" She asked, looking to Mebari and Ernest. She hoped that they wouldn't think so. Perhaps this was all a misunderstanding. If they could converse with it, maybe they could understand its intentions better.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:23 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Shiloh watched out of curiosity as Ernest did her little experiment. Surprisingly, and thankfully–the fish were alright when they weren't in the river water. "That's slightly more reassuring. I've heard of things happening when people dump into rivers tainting the water, but if that's the case then there's nothing I can do about it." At the mention of the strange beast they found earlier, her eye twitched. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that. It's not impossible, but I'd rather it not be the case." Magical creatures were fickle, and unpredictable. More importantly, they were harder to kill. She had taken several extermination jobs back in Canelux, but they were all 'normal' things like wolves, mountain cats, and wargs. 

Mebari pondered over this new information, and turned to Shiloh. "If you could, might you use your hidden sight to see if that beast is nearby again?" Shiloh hesitated, and closed her eyes. "…Alright, I will. Give me a moment." The floodgates of sensory information opened again and she took a deep breath. Slowly, carefully she scanned the immediate area. The water was giving a strange signature, where there should be none. It was faint, but then she found a stronger one. It was around five meters away this time, and the size was similar to that of a small wild dog from how well she could approximate from that distance. "…Found it. The water's giving off a signal, and that thing is here too. It's about five meters behind 'Fox', Mebari."

She had picked up on the hint from Mebari's little comment earlier and figured out she was referring to the four of them together. In Mebari's tribe there were four animals which they associated with different roles: the bear, the wolf, the fox, and the eagle. Mebari was the bear, so by an educated guess she was the wolf, leaving the short-haired girl as the fox and the fire-haired girl as the eagle. Turning off her aura sight, she rubbed her eyes to refocus. "It's still following us. I don't think we can just leave it be this time." Shiloh pulled out her hand axe. It was her payment back when she helped hunt down a winged lizard in the Bohar plains, and it was especially effective on beasts. She was ready to confront the thing that had been tailing them this whole time, but only if the others agreed.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:40 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

An idea occurred to Ernest and she filled her hands with water and picked up one of the smallest fish. It swam around in her hands and she looked at it somewhat sadly. "It is the water, then," she said. "I'd hoped that whatever this was was just related to the fish and not the water, but, as you can see, they behave normally in different water." She lifted her hands slightly to show the fish swimming around inside them.

Tilting the fish into one hand, she grabbed two little flasks from her bag. Into one she put the fish, and filled it with water from her water skin. The other she dipped into the river, being careful not to actually touch the water. "This might be worth keeping," she said. She didn't mention her keeping of the fish, but it had seemed wrong to her to save it and then let it go mad again.

"I don't think they've gone crazy," said Ernest. "I'm not entirely sure if fish can go crazy. I think something here is affecting them." She turned around, trying for a second to look for the magical predator that they had seen earlier, before remembering that it was invisible. "That thing that we saw might also have something to do with it." 

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:43 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Gale peered out from behind the stern-faced woman and saw the river was an endless stream of fish frantically swimming and leaping. She had never seen fish jump so high, or had even known they could jump. Some of the fish ended up jumping out of the water onto the banks, and were flopping around as if they were gripped by the same fear the golden horse had a while ago. There were several dead fish lying beside the river's edges, likely from being out of the water. "Why are the fish trying to leave the water when they cannot live outside of it?" She asked. It was an innocent question, but an important one.

The stern woman turned around to look at her. "How should I know? Maybe they've really gone crazy like Mebari said. Even if we try to throw them back in they'll just beach themselves again." She then continued speaking with Mebari. "All we have to do is find whatever's tainting the water and get rid of it, right? So shouldn't we be following the river against the current? The fish are all coming down from there, so it has to be upstream." Gale continued to watch the frenzied fish, now worried as the number of fish piling on the river's edges were steadily growing. They were killing themselves, but for what? It wasn't just one type of fish, but several. Large, small, and everything in between. Not every fish tried to flee onto land, half tried swimming along the current to the other parts of the river out of their range of sight. The dream-walker wanted to push them back in, as just watching them struggle out of water was difficult for her. But if they truly were gripped by madness, then it would be futile.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:32 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Mebari agreed with the other two. "Let us resume our journey then. Hush Lizaveta, we won't let anything harm you." The golden horse was calmed, and the medicine woman mounted it again. She helped Ernest up onto Lizaveta's back while Shiloh and Gale did the same. Before they set off, Shiloh threw a glance over her shoulder again in the direction where the strange magical beast had been. 

'Don't you dare try anything, whatever you are.' She thought in its direction. She had no idea if it could even hear thoughts, but her intent was clear. With the slap of the reins they went off at a gallop again. The horses stayed calm this time, which was good for all of them. They soon came across a rushing river, too wide to leap across. In the waters several fish were leaping up as they went downstream, but for some reason Mebari did not look pleased at the sight. Pulling up the chestnut mare alongside Lizaveta, Shiloh asked the medicine woman: "Why are we stopping? I don't see any predators this time." 

The bear shaman spoke in a serious tone. "Something has bewitched the water. See how the fish are leaping, as if gasping for air? They are running from something, but also gripped by some kind of madness. I have never seen such a sight before, even during the fullness of the moons." Shiloh wasn't entirely sure if that was correct, but she assumed Mebari meant this wasn't the right time for them to migrate. "So they're being affected by magic…somehow? Can't we just go around the river or make a bridge?" Mebari shook her head. "If this part of the river has been afflicted, then the bends further down will be just like this one. We cannot leave until we find the source of the madness." 

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:34 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Ernest frowned. Something invisible. That probably meant trouble. If it was hiding, it almost certainly had a reason to be doing so. Still, it hadn't attacked yet, so that was comforting. She considered more carefully. What did they know about this beast? The horses could sense it, as could the girl with the dark hair, but none of the rest of them could. It had magic, that was almost certain, so it was most likely dangerous, even if it wasn't attacking at the moment. And for some reason, it didn't want to be seen, although that could easily have been a survival instinct, as the dark-haired girl had mentioned that it wasn't very large.

She decided she agreed with the fire-haired girl, at least to some extent. "I also think we should continue," she said. "Judging by what you've said, it has the potential to be very dangerous, especially since you're the only one who can see it." In her head, she added, and seeing it gives you headaches. "If we were to attack it, it would most likely defeat us. I would rather have the chance that it will leave us alone."

A small part of her told her it might not end well if the horses panicked, but she tried to ignore that part. Every plan had its risks, and bolting horses seemed a much smaller risk than being attacked by some magical creature. 

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:28 AM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Gale looked where the stern woman pointed, but saw nothing. How strange. Was something really there? The horses seemed to think so, and it was bothering them very much to where they wanted to run. The girl with the bear shawl did her best to keep them calm in spite of their natural instinct to flee. She couldn't understand most of what she was saying, but the stern woman seemed tense. Not fearful like the animals, but worried. "I think we should try to keep going. If it hasn't attacked us, then maybe it is merely curious?" She was not one to start a fight, and wanted to have their trip be as peaceful as possible. She was aware of the others' concerns, so she did not try to persuade them. Patting the flank of the chestnut mare she had been riding, she wondered what was following them. It was something powerful with magic, but no one knew what in particular. 

It was not close as to garner caution, but the questions as to who, what, when, and why swam in her head. What would the others choose?

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:29 AM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

The girl with short black hair came up and asked her if she had seen anything. She gave herself a few more seconds before replying. "…No. And that bothers me. I'll need to take a second look. This'll be a pain and a half." Closing her eyes, Shiloh reopened them activating her aura sight. Immediately the feedback began pouring in as life signatures were popping up all over the nearby savanna. There were so many, and all moving at different speeds. This wouldn't work, she had to focus more. Narrowing her search to the immediate area within a ten meter radius, she began a slow scan of the region. Then she felt it. There was something lurking in the tall grass, completely concealed by normal means–but the magical signature was off the charts. It was almost nauseating as it flickered like a bonfire in a pitch black room.

Shutting her eyes and closing off her senses, she grabbed her head with both hands and clenched her teeth in discomfort. "Ugh…I think my stomach just inverted itself." Taking in a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose refocusing her eyes. When she was feeling less like she wanted to empty the contents of her stomach, she turned to Ernest. "We're being followed. I don't know how long, but there's something out there that's keeping itself shielded from our eyes. It's not very big, but the magical signature I picked up was off the charts–almost made me think my head was going to split." Pointing in the direction where the overwhelming signature was, she continued. "Ten meters away, keeping itself close to the ground. Biped or quadruped unknown. At the moment it is not inherently hostile, however it seems to be distressing enough for beasts to know its presence. No discernible scent within the average human range of olfactory sensation."

Looking to Mebari, the fire-haired girl, and Ernest she asked: "Question–should we engage or continue to press on?" Lizaveta was still skittish, the mare's eyes nervously darting about while snorting loudly. The chestnut horse was currently calm thanks to its eyes being covered, however it was starting to paw the ground in response to Lizaveta's fear.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 1:18 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

The horse Ernest was riding on suddenly stopped, and Ernest nearly fell off of it. She had been right that she wasn't very good on horses - she had been so focused on keeping her balance that she'd hardly even had time to look around.

She managed to get her balance again, and caught the tail end of her companions' conversation. This was what happened when horses freaked out? Ernest had kind of thought they ran around without obeying commands, but she had to admit this was better. However, she decided to get down off the horse before it either panicked more or did something else strange.

Ernest scanned the area around her for animals, but saw nothing, although she had to admit that she knew little about the animals of the savanna, and one could have easily snuck past her, unnoticed. "Do you see anything?" she called to the other girl who was searching. 

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:33 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

The horse of gold before them was suddenly struck with fear, without warning. The silent woman whom she rode with quickly covered their mount's eyes with a cloth, turning her head this way and that in search of the cause. "What is the matter? Why have we stopped?" She asked her rider. "I don't know! What's making Lizaveta freak out? I don't see anything, and there's too much blocking my view around here." The woman with the stern face said in reply. "Is there anything that I could do which would help?" Gale asked, looking over at the frightened horse from over Shiloh's shoulder. "Yes actually. Take the reins, and make sure the horse's eyes are covered up. I'm going to get off and check the area. It'll be quick, but if you see anything out of the ordinary say it." The woman slid off the horse's back onto the ground and began to close her eyes and focus. 

She must be using some sort of art which granted her insight, from what Gale could guess. Following directions she kept watch from on the horse, hoping that she would find the reason soon. So far Mebari had kept her horse restrained but it was still fearful.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:24 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Once the fire-haired girl was secured behind her, Shiloh watched as Mebari brought her horse close to the short-haired girl. It began to tense when Ernest was close, but Mebari whispered into its ear while patting its head. Then it was as if she had lulled it into a calming trance, and it kept still. Ernest should have no problem getting up onto the saddle now. When they were all settled in, Mebari pulled the reins of her golden horse and they were off. Traveling by horseback was far faster than on foot. At least twice as fast, from Shiloh's perspective. The trees passed by so quickly, and the scrubby brush was a blur.

They were coming along at a good pace when Lizaveta suddenly stopped and began snorting. The horse refused to move, then Shiloh's chestnut mare also froze up. "What's going on? Mebari!" Mebari was having trouble controlling her mount for some reason, and Lizaveta was in a panic. The medicine woman was whispering in an unknown tongue, but to no avail. It only kept the horse from panicking more. Shiloh immediately covered the eyes of her mount, to keep it from starting to panic too. Horses would stop if they couldn't see, from what she had observed in her many trips along the Bohar Plains with the caravans. She looked around, trying to find the source of the horse's sudden bout of hysteria.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:10 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

It took Ernest a few minutes to work through what the girl on the horse had said. She seemed to have a gift for speaking in riddles. "I would be glad to join you," Ernest said. She had actually been wondering if she would make it to the temple in time for the contest. "I must warn you, though, I have never actually ridden a horse before, so this might be interesting." The rest of the girl's little speech made little sense to Ernest, so she chose to turn to the red-haired girl.

"You have seen the Aurora, too, then?" she asked. "The first time I saw it, I thought I must have hit my head to hard and was imagining things. It's almost never so bright this time of year." Ernest loved the Aurora. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen - and she'd seen a lot.

Slowly, she approached the horse, hoping it wouldn't panic. She didn't always do well with horses. They tended to get skittish around her.

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:12 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Her patience had earned her a turn to speak, as when the others were finished conversing they turned to address her. The clever one asked her why she was out on the plains. Giving a bow, the dream-walker spoke. "I am following a river of light across the heavens. I wish to find the font from which it flows, and have traveled long to come here. If the river flows west, I will go west. If it flows east, then eastward I shall go."

"A river of light? What do you mean?" The shawl-clad rider asked. Gale bowed to her and explained. "It is like a river of many colors, moving and flowing like a ribbon in the wind. Purple, green blue, and other colors are within it. Sometimes it branches, and it flows back on itself." "You must mean the evening lights then. They happened once the moons waxed full. Perhaps we all are going the same way after all. Come with us." The golden horse's rider extended her staff to welcome her to their group. The quiet one looked to her as if confirming what the other had said. "Then you have my thanks, efendi. May our journey be swift and fortuitous." She approached the riders and the silent one held out a hand. Taking it, she was lifted up onto the chestnut mare's back.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:03 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

"How serendipitous that we all have the same point of destination in mind! Would you like to ride with us? Lizaveta can carry two without a complaint." Mebari replied. Shiloh was glad Mebari was taking the lead, as she wasn't particularly interested in making small talk. The medicine woman continued. "So there is a contest being held at the temple? I suppose we will be having many people to welcome us there. We two are going there on my behalf. As a medicine woman of the Haza, one of our rites is a vision quest. When word of a temple in the mountains reached my people's ears, the elders encouraged me to travel there." She then motioned to Shiloh, sitting on the other horse behind. "This is the one who was tasked to guard me as I made my journey. As I am of the Bear and she is like the Wolves, what are you?" The last question was directed to both Ernest and Gale.

Shiloh meanwhile had expected that they would be bringing the other two along. Though she wasn't sure if they would agree, since it wouldn't be as secure holding onto a rider than the reins themselves. If there was something going on at the temple, would the deity have time for both of them? She didn't think any further on it, as only time would tell. Steadying her grip on the saddle, she watched the other two in silence.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:27 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Everyone turned to look at Ernest and she resisted the urge to cringe. She still hated being the centre of attention, even though she knew it was somewhat irrational. There was a reason she spent so much time alone in the wilderness, and it wasn't just that she loved discovery.

She was slightly surprised to find that the two on horseback were going the same way as she was. "As a matter of fact, I am going to the temple," she said. "I heard that Lord Drae was holding a contest of some sort." Also, she was interested in whatever phenomenon had caused the massive increase in magical power. "What are you going for?" She was always curious about people - particularly their motivations.

It suddenly occurred to her that the red-haired girl hadn't spoken throughout the entire exchange. Ernest turned to address her. "And what are you doing on the plains?" she asked.

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:03 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Another from behind had come, different from the two before her on horseback. The coat of the horse that the scholar with the staff rode upon was unlike that she had ever seen. It was like sunlight, a beautiful golden color. She had never seen horses that were not black, brown, or white. Clasping her hands together she waited patiently as the mounted riders spoke with the one who had approached from the brush. As her mind wandered she saw a shining stone at her feet. Kneeling down she scooped it up from the earth and set it aside with its brothers in her pack.

Listening, she looked at everyone present, one at a time. The one who was making a pilgrimage with the staff was strong, but peaceful. There was calmness in her voice and her spirit. Her shawl bore the prints of an animal intermixed with that of a bear. The one beside her was quiet, but unyielding. Ferocity lay beneath her silence, ready to be unleashed when one said the word. Then the third, the one who had just arrived. Quick, and clever but always watching. The calm one and the quiet one were said to be on a journey to a temple below the mountains. She had seen them in the distance, but as she had walked they never seemed to grow closer. It was a far destination, by what she knew. What then was the clever one's reason for traversing the wild plain?

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 3:53 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Everyone turned to look at the new arrival to their little group. Mebari patted her horse, calming it down as the second person approached. Shiloh shifted atop her saddle as she focused on them. "Hello there! What brings you to this land?" Mebari spoke up for both of them. "We are journeying through the savanna to the temple at the foot of the mountains. Are you going the same way as we?" The young medicine woman in training held her staff in her hand while resting her other on the back of her horse's neck, reins in hand. The gold-colored mare snorted, and pawed the ground. If they were all heading to Tar Eisalae, they'd both be carrying an additional passenger per horse.

The fire-haired girl hadn't said a word, but she was waiting for everyone to finish speaking unless she was addressed directly. Mebari herself was dressed in robes and a wide shawl covering her shoulders. The patterns were in bright hues of red and green, forming patterns of the art of the Haza people. Her shawl had the paw prints of a bear, and other images relating to the earth and her animal. 

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:18 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

Ernest had heard that the Haza Savanna was a lonely place. So far, it did not fit that description. Regardless of the animals, which she knew many would not consider, she had already seen three people, and had hardly been walking a day. Lonely indeed.

A voice called out from across the plains and Ernest looked up before realizing that the person wasn't talking to her. Still, she turned to go toward them before getting distracted by the glittering stones in the grass. She kneeled down and picked one up, studying it carefully. She couldn't read the runes, but she thought they were beautiful all the same. Perhaps they did something interesting. Hoping "interesting" didn't mean "cursing the person who keeps them," she tucked it in her bag and carried on.

It appeared as though the other people were waiting for something, for they didn't move as Ernest came closer. They didn't seem dangerous, but she kept her dagger near the top of her bag just in case. "Hello there!" she called. "What brings you to this land?"

Author: Kazahana, Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 3:48 PM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

In the tall savanna grasses Gale walked, her head covered by her sash to ward off the heat. It was not as dry as Karkhata, but she was used to the strong sun. The winds were calm and many creatures were out and about. Today she was not here to dream. She was following a different path, one to the center of the stardust trail. When she walked in the realm of dreams, something new appeared consistently each and every night. That new thing was a strange trail of fog made of sparkling lights. It crisscrossed the stream of consciousness, forking into many paths. She had tried to follow it to the end, only to wake up after failing to reach its conclusion. Each night she resumed her attempts from a new location, until she came to understand that the paths themselves were like spokes on a wheel, radiating from the origin. One path might twist and turn, but in the end all would reach the center. She followed that river of light in the waking world across the rivers and hills, over mountains and valleys. 

In Parvpora the air was thick with power, like incense burnt into smoke rising up and mixing with the breeze. Everything seemed to hum with a sound, a resonance coming from far away. There were pieces of stones with symbols and fragments like iridescent glass in clusters of grass. She even once found one shard in the crook of a tree. "They are so beautiful…where could they have come from?" The dream-walker looked up into the sky, shading her eyes from the sun. "Are they pieces of the sky, fallen like fragments of a cast-off shell? Perhaps they are solid starlight, or crystals made of the rainbow waves of light-river." When she slept she would place them nearby, and she would have more vivid dreams. Traveling across the land, the dreamscape itself seemed to respond to the things she had collected. The creatures and entities would stop and listen, as if something was calling from beyond.

Lost in her thoughts she paid no heed to the sounds of hooves against the earth. "Hoy! You there!" A voice pierced through her idle thoughts like an arrow. Turning around she looked at two horses with riders approaching. She stopped walking and waited for them to come within a meter's distance.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:27 AM, Post Subject: The Long Way Around [O] [Event]

'You should go see the Deity of Knowledge if you wish to learn more on what you are looking for.' That was what the deity of light had told her, to paraphrase. She received directions to the former's temple which was high up on the northern end of the Jasumin Plains. She would have to trek through the center of the continent before she could reach the outskirts of the realm. While most might take an airship or join a caravan, Shiloh decided to walk. She had been in plains before, like in Bohar. But this place was new, and she wanted to see it all for herself. There were many animals that grazed and fed on grasses, but more exotic in shape and color than what she had ever seen. Striped horses with short manes, deer with antlers straight and pointed, lions, and other beasts.

Her walk was difficult beneath the strong sun, and she used her shield for cover. Soon she came upon horses in the distance, and a group of riders came by. They stopped when they saw her and dismounted. They were surprisingly hospitable, and asked her where she had come from and where she was going. She told them of the Library Temple, and her reason was to learn more about things she wanted to know. The asked if she could come along with them to their village in turn for a favor. Agreeing, one of the riders carried her along to their settlement on the savanna. There they presented a young girl who was being trained in the ways of the earth and medicine. She wished to make the journey to the temple as well to ask for the deity's wisdom, but she was still too inexperienced to go by herself. 

"You want me to go with her then? Like an escort?" Shiloh asked when Mebari was brought from the crowd. "Yes, she is still not yet a woman and we would be thankful if you could accompany Mebari on her vision quest." An elder rider with a zebra's pelt as a cape said, placing his hands on Mebari's shoulders. "She is my niece, and though she is talented in the ways of the earth I still worry that danger might befall her." Looking down, she thought it over for a while. "…Alright. I'll do it. All I need to do is make sure she gets to the temple safe and sound right? I can handle that. There's no need to pay me, since I'm going the same way."

They were off, on a pair of horses lent by Mebari's uncle. Mebari was leading Shiloh's mare with hers, and the sun was still high when they had departed. "So how far is the temple from here?" She asked, to break the awkward silence. "It is many days from here. If we are lucky, we might arrive before the third morning." Patting the mane of the chestnut mare, she mused to herself. "Minimum three days' journey huh… Better make the most out of what daylight we have."